Anchor



K. R. FAIR June 6, 1961 ANCHOR Filed April 9, 1959 Inventor KENNETH R. F IR Agent United States Patent 2,987,028 ANCHOR Kenneth R. Fair, 36 Gradwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 805,222 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) This invention relates to anchors. It is particularly directed to providing an anchor which will retain a boat or ship securely in its anchored position regardless of the nature of the bottom and which can be readily released and raised in the event that the flukes become caught or snagged in rocks or logs.

Various types of anchors are well known and are relatively widely used, particularly in the operation of pleasure boats. There are, however, several difficulties encountered in the use of known anchors, particularly in fresh water lakes and rivers. If the bottom is sand, mud or the like, the anchor tends to slide or skid over the surface of the bottom rather than dig into it with the result that the boat tends to drift away from its desired anchored position. Also, the flukes tend to become caught or snagged in crevices or logs or other debris on the bottom from which they can be disengaged only with difiiculty or, if they cannot be disengaged, the anchor line must be cut and the anchor is lost.

I have found it is possible to overcome these difliculties by providing improvements in known, conventional anchors by means of which movement of an anchored boat causes the flukes to dig downwardly into a sand or mud bottom and thus hold the boat securely in its anchored position. Also, if the flukes become caught or snagged on the bottom, the anchor ring can, by manoeuvring the boat, be caused to slide down the shank to a point adjacent to the stock whereby, on pulling on the anchor rope, the anchor can be raised in an upsidedown position and thus released.

The anchor of the present invention comprises, in general, a stock, spaced anchor flukes mounted on said stock and forming a substantially unitary structure therewith, a shank pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said stock between said flukes, a slot extending the length of said shank between the mounting on the stock at one end and the closed other end, and a ring freely slidably mounted in said slot, and an arcuately curved base for said anchor fixedly secured to said stock between said flukes, said base having spaced diverging side walls which terminate in an open end.

An understanding of the improved anchor of the present invention can be obtained by the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an anchor which incorporates the improvements of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation taken along the line 2--2, FIGURE 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description and drawing.

The anchor illustrated in the drawing can be formed of conventional material which is capable of withstanding the stresses and strains to which it is subjected in use and also, which is resistant to corrosion by fresh or salt water. Conventional materials are brass, iron and steel. In the anchor illustrated, I use steel with a coating of zinc to prevent corrosion.

The numeral indicates the anchor stock which preferably is round and of a length sutficient to carry the spaced flukes 11 and 12 which are fixedly secured thereto, such as by welding.

A shank 13 is pivotally mounted on the stock 10 between the spaced flukes 11 and 12. A convenient ar- 2,987,028 Patented June 6, 1961 rangement for mounting the shank is to pass the stock 10 through an opening 25 formed in the lower end of the shank. The flukes 11--12 are arranged in co-planar relation on either side of the shank with the opposing inside edges generally parallel to each other and the outside edges tapering to points with the inside edges.

The shank 13 is formed with an eye or slot 14 having closed ends which extends the length thereof between the mounting on the stock and the free end thereof. An anchor ring 15 is freely slidably mounted in the slot 14.

The anchor base 19 is arcuately curved to cause the anchor to fall over on the flukes when the anchor is lowered to rest on the bottom. That is, the rounded base does not permit the anchor to stand upright on the bottom. The rounded base 19 is mounted below the stock 10 and is formed with spaced, outwardly diverging walls which extend into the space between the flukes. A convenient arrangement for securing the base to the stock is to pass it through and weld it to spaced plates 22 and 23 which are secured to and extend between the diverging walls of the base 19.

The opposing, inside edges of the flukes 11 and 12 preferably are turned at right angles to the plane surfaces thereof, as indicated by numerals 1718 to stiifen the flukes and, also, to aid flukes in digging into sand and mud bottoms. Downwardly extending flanges can be provided on these edges, of course, if desired instead of turning the edges at right angles. Preferably, as illustrated in the drawing, the flange on one fluke extends at right angles to one surface thereof and the flange on the other fluke extends at right angles to the opposite surface, thus to have a flange or projection in contact with the bottom regardless of which surface of the flukes is in contact with the bottom.

The arrangement of the diverging walls 20-21 of the base, preferably is designed to restrict the pivoted movement of the shank a predetermined distance between the flukes 1112. In the modification of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the shank 13 is restricted to a total movement of about 70 relative to the flukes, about 35 in each direction from a position parallel to the flukes.

The improved anchor of the present invention possesses a number of important advantages. In use, the flukes are free to assume a slightly downward direction when the anchor is resting on the bottom with the result that they dig into a sand or mud bottom when there is any movement of the anchored boat. Also, the free end of the divergent wall of the base adjacent to the bottom also digs into the bottom and aids in overcoming the problem of the anchor skidding on that type of bottom. A further important advantage is that the anchor can be readily and easily released if the flukes become caught or snagged in rocks or debris on the bottom.

It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the preferred embodiment of this invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An anchor comprising a stock, spaced flukes mounted on said stock forming a substantially unitary structure therewith, a shank pivotally mounted on said stock between said fiukes, said shank having a slot extending the length of the shank, a ring slidably mounted in said slot, an arcuate curved base projecting rearwardly of the stock and over and under the pivotal connection of the shank to the stock, said arcuate curved base being connected to the stock by spaced side plates which extend between the diverging walls of the arcuate curved base, said side plates being on each side of the pivotal connection of the shank to the stock.

3 4 2. The structure according to claim 1, in which the References Cited in the file of this patent pivotal mevement of Ehe shank on the stock is re sh-icted UNITED STATES PATENTS to a maxlmum of 35 measurement from a posmon m which said shank is parallel to said flukes, said angle of 310,614 PrPtheme 1885 measurement for the shank being governed by the open 5 2,677,343 SIPPIBY M3314 1954 ends of the curved haw 2,687,106 Lmnenbank et a1. Aug. 24, 1954 2,894,474 Donaldson July 14, 1959 

